I Found No One -- MegaShift, by James Rutz

When you pray for something big, and you pound on the door of heaven day after day, you begin to see God as aloof and uncaring, while you are the good-hearted, needy petitioner.

Surprise:  God sees it differently. For example, about 600 B.C., He is explaining to Ezekiel why He is soon going to destroy the nation, deporting them to Babylon as captives. He catalogs their callousness and evil, then gives this shocking revelation:

When I looked among them for a man who would build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me in defense of the land, to prevent my destroying it, I found no one. So I will pour out my wrath upon them.
  -- Ezekiel 22:30-31

If that isn't a tragedy, I don't know what is.  In the whole nation of Judah, the all-seeing Yahweh couldn't find even one intercessor with the backbone to stand up to Him and say, No, Lord! Spare your people! This just cannot be!

Yes, the Lord actually adores fighters who will take Him on, wrestling tenaciously like Jacob with the Angel of the Lord (Genesis 32). The new saints understand God's highest desires, and they're willing to fight tooth and nail, with fiery passion, to make sure He doesn't settle for anything less.

It's like painting your kitchen. You want to do it, but you also want to spend the weekend goofing off. [That's where a skillful spouse can appeal to your higher purposes without making you angry.]

Now, God is as complex as you are. He has conflicts that He wants us to help resolve, like destroying Judah versus not. He wants you to speak in His ear and remind Him about why He should be compassionate and patient instead of giving us what we well deserve.

In extreme cases He wants you to engage Him in something analogous to hand-to-hand combat if that's what it takes.

God wants you to take joint responsibility for what happens in this perilous world. He doesn't want you to mumble a polite prayer, shrug your shoulders, and say, "Well, it's out of our hands now."....

----from MegaShift, by James Rutz

Let Your Light Shine,Gideon! - Charles Spurgeon

                       
                         A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!
                                                            -- Judges 7:20

Gideon ordered his men to do two things: Covering up a torch in an earthen pitcher, he had them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher and let the light shine. Then he had them blow the trumpet crying, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

This is precisely what all Christians must do. First, you must shine: Break the pitcher that conceals your light, throw aside the container that has been hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men; let your good works be such that when men look at you they will know that you have been with Jesus.

Then, there must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active exertions for the gathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel to them. Carry it to their door; put it in their path; do not allow them to escape it;  blow the trumpet right against their ears.




Remember that the true battle-cry of the church is Gideon's watchword, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

God must do it; it is His own work. But we cannot be idle; He uses instruments--"A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

If we only cry, "A sword for the LORD" we will be guilty of idle presumption, and if we only cry, "A sword for Gideon!" alone  we shall display an idolatrous reliance on man. We must blend the two in practical harmony.

"A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" We can do nothing in ourselves, but we can do everything by the help of our God; let us, therefore, in His Name, determine to go out personally and serve Him with our flaming torch of holy example and with our trumpet blasts of sincere declaration and testimony, and God will be with us, and the enemy will be put to confusion, and the Lord of Hosts will reign forever and ever.

Even the stars are safe!

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.   -- Isaiah 40:26


God even keeps track of the stars!

And He keeps track of us also!

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent me: that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me...  --John 6:37-39


All that the Father gives.....I shall lose none of all that He has given Me....



My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and the Father are one.  -- John 10:27-30


One of the great doctrines of the church is the keeping power of God.

In traditional theology books this is referred to as the perseverance of the saints.

More appropriately it should be called the perseverance of God, or the faithfulness of God, because it all due to His work not ours.

This doctrine means that God never begins a work that He does not intend to finish and that, therefore, no one whom He has called to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior will ever be lost.

Our knowledge (understanding) of this truth  -- or our lack of knowledge (understanding) of this truth -- will affect our lives each day.


If we do understand it, we will have a firm foundation on which we can build our lives.


He loves and saves and keeps all of us, because He loves and saves and keeps each of us.

Grace that is Greater than all My Sin!

My gracious Father,

Thank you for showering me with Your grace, which I don't deserve and can't even begin to comprehend its infinite goodness.

We used to sing, "Grace, grace, God's grace! Grace that is greater than all my sin!"

How could You extend that much grace to us?

My heart is filled with humility and gratitude for what You have done for me.

As I start this day I ask You to help me put aside all my fears and negative expectations. 

You are all I need to make it through the challenges I face.

Please bring me back to the cross and focus on Your love. What else matters?

This is where You take away my weakness and crown me with Your power and strength.

Your smile is the only smile I need to see today.

Thank You, Father, for seeking me and finding me. For not giving up on me.

I will love You and praise You forever.

Amen.

Searching - St. Augustine

Too late have I loved You, O Beauty, ancient, yet ever new. Too late have I loved You!

You were within, but I was outside, searching for You there -- plunging, deformed amid those fair forms which You had made.

You were with me, but I was not with You.

Things held me far from You, which, unless they were in You, did not exist at all. 

You called and shouted, and burst my deafness.

You gleamed and shone upon me, and chased away my blindness.

You breathed fragrant odors on me and I held back my breath, but now I pant for You.

I tasted and now I hunger and thirst for You.

You touched me and now I yearn for Your presence.

      -- Confessions of St. Augustine, Book X, #27

                          
                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God? 

 (Psalm 42:1-2)

Taste and see that the LORD is good.    

(Psalm 34:8)

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they will be filled.
(Matthew 5:6)

Chuck Colson - A Story from His Life

A story from Chuck' Colson's life - just a few months after his conversion.....



...a faith that does not do this, which stops with the belief that being "saved" is the whole Christian experience, is dead and denies Christ's concern for all mankind. It is like a baby dying in infancy; the child may be born healthy, but his life will have little or no impact on others.


Grasping this concept {of living a life of total obedience to God} was a turning point for me, as it is, I suspect for many Christians. God, I know understood, was working a powerful transformation in my thought habits and forcing me to think about what it really means to live as a disciple of Christ.


And as so often happened when I did this, Al Quie's face appeared in my mind. In January 1974 Al had telephoned me in prison and said he had learned of a little known statute that permits one man to serve the prison term for another. Al knew how heavy were the problems in my family, particularly with Chris' {his son} arrest. When he offered to take my place in prison so I could return home, I was staggered.


Al Quie was then one of the most respected members of the House of Representatives, having spent 20 hears in Congress, and had become the ranking Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, a pillar of integrity, who in 1978 would become governor of Minnesota. I couldn't believe that he would endanger one of the most illustrious careers in American politics. "I've been led to do this," was his explanation.


I knew at that moment beyond all possible arguments that Christ lives. He was real in Al Quie's life. He had to be. Nothing less than the presence of the living God could make a man risk so much for another.

From Life Sentence, by Chuck Colson



{I love this story from Chuck Colson's life -- what a testimony
of faith and courage it must have been to him as a new Christian and what a great example for him to follow as he began his new ministry as a writer and as founder of Prison Fellowship.}










.

A Gentle Reminder

Sometimes in a Bible class I ask those present to tell me how they came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and how they came to receive His message. It is, of course, the most important decision a person ever makes -- "What are you going to do with Jesus?"

I remember reading about C. S. Lewis' experience. He came first to the realization that there was indeed a Sovereign God. He says this knowledge came gradually. Then one day he realized that he had, in fact, moved form atheism to a sort of theism.


But he knew it could not stop there. "Now I am going to have to come to a decision about Jesus Christ," he said to himself. And a few months later that moment came and he acknowledged that Jesus Christ, was in fact, the incarnate God who came to earth, just as the ancient manuscripts announced.

Whenever I listen to people relate their spiritual journey, I hear some of the different roads they traveled.


Some say it was during a Billy Graham Crusade, either being at the event in person, or watching it on TV or listening on the radio. (I have a friend who was listening on the car radio, and when the Holy Spirit spoke, he had to immediately drive to the shoulder of the road and bow his head. He was not able to drive any further until the issue was settled.)


Chuck Colson talks about a Christian friend giving him a copy of Mere Christianity and that while reading it in his car, his own heart was convicted of sin and convinced of the adequate atonement of Christ Jesus to solve his sin problem. He bowed his head and wept tears of joy.


Some people say their parents taught them early. Others talk about youth retreats sponsored by their church, or pastors, or Sunday School teachers who gently showed them the gospel truth.

All of these pathways to Christ are miracles to the one who has come to Jesus.


But what does the Scripture say?


Look at I Corinthians 1:30: "It is because of Him (God the Father) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."


It's good to remember that salvation is always (ALWAYS) initiated by God, not by me, nor by my friends, teachers, authors.



This brings me a sense of joyful freedom. The desire to jump up and click my heels together (there was a time when I could actually do that -- now I just do it in my mind).


Since it all starts and ends with God, I don't have to worry about being responsible for making things happen in His kingdom. What a relief! I can serve Him eagerly and without the burden of "accomplishment" bearing down on me.

In God's Kingdom, His is the seed. His is the soil, the implements, and water. All of it is His. I am not even a tenant farmer -- they share in the harvest -- I am just a laborer. I am not responsible for the weather, for the rocks in the soil, for the birds overhead trying to snatch the seed. I am just responsible to make myself available for God to use to distribute the seed as He leads me.


We just have to be available for God's love so that the gospel can be extended through us. We are instruments in His hands. The response is all up to Him.


I need to remind myself of this continually. I should not feel pressure to get results....it is because of the Father Himself, not me, that anyone is found in Christ.


DOXOLOGY! Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!

Come and Meet My Family

From You Shall Be Holy 
             by Derek W. H. Thomas

I Peter 1:1-2

To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.

Notice how trinitarian Peter is. He mentions the foreknowledge of God the Father, the sanctification of the Spirit, and obedience to Jesus Christ.

It is as though the Father is looking down the corridors of history and has already set His love on this one and that one, and He turns to the Holy Spirit and says, "In My love, I want this one to become Mine."

The Spirit then taps on that person's shoulder and says, "The Father wants you."

The Spirit takes that person to Jesus Christ and says, "This one wants You to be his Prophet, his Priest, and his King."

Jesus says to the person, "Come and meet My Father, because it was His plan all along."

Ebenezer Stone - 3 - Charles Spurgeon

Then Samuel took a stone and stood up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying "This far has the Lord helped us."
  -- 1 Samuel 7:12


Charles Spurgeon's older version of this verse said "Till now," instead of "This far."

He writes these thoughts:

     The phrase "till now" is like a hand pointing in the direction of the past.

     Twenty years or seventy, and still "till now the Lord has helped us."  Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honor, in dishonor, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation, "till now the Lord has helped us." 

     We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from end to end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches of leaves.

     In the same way look down on the long aisles of your years at its green branches of mercy overhead and strong pillars of loving-kindness and faithfulness that support your joys. Are there no birds singing in those branches? Surely there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received "till now."

     But the word also points forward.  For when a man reaches a certain point and writes, "till now," he is not yet at the end; he still has a distance to go.

     More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then he faces sickness, old age, disease, death.

     Is it over then? No!

     Then there is awakening in Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the company of saints, the glory of God, the fullness of eternity, the infinity of bliss.

     Be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise your banner --

He who hath helped thee hitherto

Will help thee all thy journey through

     When read in light of heaven, how glorious and marvelous a prospect will the "till now" provide for your grateful eye!



What Else Matters?

My gracious Father,

Thank you for showering me with Your  grace, which I don't deserve and I can't even begin to comprehend its infinite goodness.

We used to sing: "Grace, grace, God's grace! Grace that is greater than all my sin!"

How could that be? Grace bigger than my sin?

My heart is filled with gratitude for what You have done for me.

As I start this day I ask You to help me push aside all my fears and negative expectations. You are all I need to make it through the challenges facing me today.

Please bring me back to the cross and focus on Your love. What else matters?

This is where You take my weaknesses away and crown me with Your power and strength.

Your smile is the only smile I need to see today.

Thank You, Father, for seeking me and finding me. Thank You
for being my never-giving-up-on-me Savior.

I will love you and thank You forever.

Amen.

Jesus, keep me near the cross; 

There a precious fountain,

Free to all, a healing stream, 

flows from Calvary's mountain.

Near the cross, a trembling soul, 

Love and Mercy found me -

There the Bright and Morning Star, 

Shed His beams around me.

In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever

Till my ransomed soul shall find, rest beyond the river.

(By Fanny Crosby)

As a man carries his son....

"And in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, 

in all the way that you went 

until you came to this place." Deuteronomy 1:31

Such a beautiful picture. Moses is here addressing his people just before they enter the Promised Land, and a few days before he died.

After 40 years wandering in the wilderness - reminding them of the hard times that were behind them, and now, look at where they are now! 

Remember how their faithful and loving Father God carried them in the rugged places - just like a loving father picks up his son and carries him over the rough spots, out of danger, into safety.

And we can look back, too, from where we are and remember how many times He carried us - until we got "to this place"...where we are now.

This might be a good day to look back and remember the hazardous road we have traveled to get to where we are now. (Actually, when you think about it, the only reason to ever look back is to see how far we have come!)

What a great Father we have!

The Two Evils

"For My people have committed two evils: 

they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,

 and have hewn for themselves cisterns -- broken cisterns that can hold no water."  Jeremiah 2:13

I ask myself,  "Why would anyone walk away from a fountain of fresh, clean, pure water and dig a hole to collect the dirty, contaminated run-off water?"

It makes no sense. Like drinking dirty dish water, when we could be refreshed with pure, sparkling clean water. Who would do such a thing?

Maybe I do. Maybe I am that stupid!

Ignoring God's perfect will and path for me -- the path specifically designed to bring me goodness and happiness -- and I choose my own destructive self-serving way and end up sad and empty!

The world is full of broken cisterns. Many I dig myself. It's like sitting in a mud puddle making mud pies when I could be at a coastal resort building sand castles and watching the dolphins frolic in the waves. (And waiting for the buffet to open!)

Looking for happiness in all the wrong places.

Jesus promised, "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst...the water I give him will become in him a fountain springing up into eternal life." John 4:13-14

Only Jesus can give us what we want and need. What kind of fool would walk away from that?

All She Had

I'm thinking about how everytime we read scripture passages there is always something new to think about, even in really familiar passages.

Remember the account of the poor widow's offering, recorded
in Luke 21:1-4?

Jesus is at the temple. This is the last week of His earthly mission.
In just a couple of days He will be arrested, tried and crucified.

He is watching the religious people bringing their offerings into the temple....

    "As Jesus looked up He saw the rich putting their gifts into
    the temple  treasury.  He also saw a poor widow put in two
    very small copper coins.

    'Truly I tell you,' He said, 'This poor widow has put in more
    than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of
    their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to 
    live on.'"

So she gave all she had.

This story is not about money -  It's about the heart.

Isn't it wonderful that Jesus noticed the woman? Probably no
one else did.

What did He see?

He saw someone who loved God so much she gave Him all she had!

And in just a couple of days He would be giving all He had as well!

And so  this dear widow, in her small way, was very Jesus-like....

An Evening Prayer

My Father,

I am so tired and  weary tonight -  it was a challenging day.

I'm so thankful You are there - eager for me to come to You.

Please remove the anxiety I still feel in my mind - that 'hurry up' feeling that permeated everything I attempted to do today. Why am I still carrying it around?

Why do I still feel my heart pounding? Why do I feel so inadequate? Why do I feel I just don't measure up to others?
Why do I even care what others think? Your smile of approval is the only smile I really need, or want,  to see.

I know that feeling this way is a major sin -- because I am not just disobeying You -- I am doubting Your goodness in caring for me.
And that might be the biggest sin of all. Doubting Your goodness - 
You - the only truly faithful Friend I have ever had.  And I know
that, but I get distracted by the demands assaulting me.

Please remove all the urgency, frustration, the fears and disappointments of this day.

Give me Your peace, comfort and joy -- and the gift of restful sleep.

Please restore me and strengthen me while I sleep so I can face another new day - a new opportunity to love and serve You.

Thank you for always forgiving me and giving me another chance to do it right!

I love You so much and and I know You love me.

That's what keeps me going. And I am still amazed that You kept going -- all the way to the cross -- nothing stopped You!

I will praise You and thank You forever and forever.

Amen.

Almond Joy

I thought again this morning about the menorah, the solid gold candlestick in the Old Testament tabernacle and temple.

Now I am noticing something else.

The branches that held the buds and blossoms that were to be hammered out of a single piece of gold, were to be crafted to look like the branches of an almond tree.

It is often we read about figs and olives and cedars in the Old Testament. But not often we read about almonds.

     And on the lampstand there are to be four
     cups shaped like almond flowers with buds
     and blossoms (Exodus 25:33).

Almonds?  The older I get and the more I study the Bible, the more convinced I am that every word in scripture is important. It is there for a reason. There is no "filler" in God's Word!

I look at a package of wieners and see all the products listed as part of that wiener. And a bottle of catsup: Water, sugar, salt, corn syrup, onion powder, spice....and oh yes, tomato sauce!

Most products we consume have a lot of filler -- just to add bulk or color or fluid.

Not so in scripture. Nothing is added to the content that is not essential -- every word is decreed by God as part of his revelation -- it is truly pure!

So now I am thinking about almonds.

Genesis 43:11 is the first mention. Jacob instructed his sons to:

     Put some of the best products of the land in
     your bags and take them to the man [Joseph,
     the high official, unknown to his brothers at the
     time] as a gift - a little balm and a little honey,
     some spices and some myrrh, some pistachio
     nuts and almonds.

Then in Exodus we have the divine design for the construction of the Menorah in Exodus 25 and 37.

Then in Numbers 17 we read about Moses' brother, Aaron, whose rod was cut from an almond tee.  When almond blossoms and leaves suddenly sprouted on the rod, the miracle was a sign that God had chosen Aaron and his Levite family to be the priests.

There is a Menorah today standing outside the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, which follows the design indicated by God to Moses. The almond blossoms are carved in exquisite detail.

Later, in Ecclesiastes, the almond is an illustration of old age.

This is a good illustration particularly because the almond trees burst into flowers in late winter -- and winter is often used to compare to reaching old age.
And the blossoms often look like snowflakes when they fall to the ground.

In Jeremiah (Chapter 1) we also read about an almond tree. God sends a vision to Jeremiah, and asks him what he sees.

Jeremiah answers: I see the branch of an almond tree. And the LORD said, You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.

The word "almond" in Hebrew is very close to the word for "watching."

So this is what I have out so far....

1. The almond was native to the Middle East and apparently of great value.




2. Almonds produce a sweet oil that is sometimes called "honey dew" because of its fragrance.




3. The almond, since it bursts into flower in late winter, is considered the first crop to emerge in the spring. It blooms before any of the other native trees.

4. The almond tree was traditionally called the "watchful" tree by the ancient Hebrews. When they saw an almond tree they could remember that God was watching over them.

The rest of the story


An old myth is that Aaron's rod was made from a branch of the Tree of Life in Eden. That special branch was taken from Eden by Adam and Eve and then passed down their godly line (through Shem and then Noah) into the hands of the patriarchs.

Eventually King David planted it, and centuries later its wood was used to construct the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

The story goes on to say that in Revelation 22 the Tree of Life mentioned is actually a relic of the cross that will reappear and flower.

And so the Tree of life in Eden is liked botanically to the Tree of Life in Revelation -- a great story, right?

Who knows, maybe part of the story is true!

Pass the Salt! - T M Moore

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  Matthew 5:13

The declining state of the Church in America -- even among some of its own members --  suggests that the warning Jesus issued in this teaching has begun to be realized: The Church is losing its "saltiness," and therefore is being rejected as no long being needed or useful.


In Jesus' day, salt was not used primarily as a seasoning to enhance the taste of food. Its main use was as a preservative against decay. Salt would be rubbed into meat and this would allow the meat to remain palatable for a longer period of time. Salt that no longer accomplished this purpose was thrown into the trash.

But there was another use of salt in Jesus' day, which, if anything, was more important than either its use as a seasoning or a preservative. In Hebrew religious practice, offerings brought to the Lord were to be accompanied by a "measure of salt" (Leviticus 1:13). This salt was referred to as the "salt of the covenant;" that is,  salt represented the relationship Israel had with their God. Salt was thus a token and a sign of the divine covenant, and a way of indicating agreement with and participation in God and His promises.


The Church is the salt of the earth, not only because she entices the world's taste for the Gospel, or because she serves to hold off the advances of corruption and decay in morality and culture. These are certainly vital aspects of what it means to be the salt of the earth.  But beyond these, the Church is the salt of the earth because she is the token of the covenant, given with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in order to open the way for the sinful world to receive the promises and blessings of God.   -- T. M. Moore

LOL

Sometime ago, I heard someone say that, according to Jerry Seinfeld's personal study, children laugh around 75 times a day. Adults? About 12. I asked my sister, "Is that what is wrong with the world?" She thinks that it might be part of the problem.


So I got on Amazon and ordered a joke book. I thought maybe I could start telling jokes and people would around me would laugh.


The book arrived and Art asked me why in the world I bought a "Jokelpedia."


I said I wanted to make adults laugh more. LOL. Laugh Out Loud!


So I started reading the large volume. And, to be honest with you, I am not finding much of anything really funny. Maybe worth a smile or two, or more likely a groan, but no real laugh.


Here's one: What do you do if your cake strikes out? ( Ans: Call in the next batter.) I'm not sure this joke book is going to change the world for the better (or for the batter?)


Then I looked at the kids around me. They do laugh all the time. A little one in a highchair just claps her hands and giggles. My little nephews chase each other, laughing all the time. They are not laughing at jokes, though, they are just laughing in delight about life!


Then I began to see that in more children. They just giggle and poke each other, grin and laugh uproariously at nothing at all. Just experiencing refreshing enjoyment at being alive and letting everyone else know about it!


So that is it. It really is one of our problems. We need to find more sheer delight in everything around us.


And it happens much easier if we have a heart of gratitude.


A heart of gratitude has no room for depression or cynicism.

A heart of gratitude is a heart of joyful love.

Though you have not see Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy.
                 --I Peter 1:8

That's exactly right! This joy He gives us is so deep and so wonderful that we cannot even find words to describe it to those who do not share our faith.

 Remember that poignant song we know only as "Untitled Hymn"?

And when the love spills over, and music fills the night
And when you can't contain the joy inside
Then dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat, kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace and laugh on glory's side
Just fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus and live!

And in thy presence is fullness of joy.

(Psalm 16:11)

With all the joy He gives us now, it is hard to even try to imagine what the joy will be like when we are with Him!


And we will laugh there, on glory's side (without any joke books), probably much more than 75 times a day!


And that day will be the first day of the rest of our lives!


PS Here's a joke:

Two mischievous little boys, ages 8 and 10, were terrorizing the neighborhood. They were disobedient and caused havoc everywhere they went.

Their mother asked the pastor to speak with them.

"OK," he said, "but only if I can talk to them one at a time."

He called the younger boy into his office and challenged him, "Do you know where God is?"

The little boy sat quietly, thinking the question over.

The pastor asked again, a little louder: "Do you know where God is?"

The young lad sat there, and his eyes grew wide and his lip started quivering.

"Do you know where God is?" the pastor thundered.

The little boy jumped up and ran to the door, down the street to his home and upstairs to his brother's bedroom.

He burst into the room.

"We're really in big trouble now," he cried. "God is missing and they think we did it!"